PERPETUAL YOUTH.
lUrat& then? Is a fount In flower I.nnd
Vo Leon round It where Old Ape nwny
Throws weary mind mid heart, and fresh as day
gpriugs from the dark and joint Aurora'shand:
Xhht tnliv, lranfonned by koiiio bkllled trouverc'n
wand
Trom the old myth in a (ireok poet's lay,
Ttesls on no truth. Chance bodies as Tlmo mny,
Soul do not change, though heavy lw his lmiid.
Who of n need this fount? Whnt soul Is old!
Our mere, musks ago, mid xtilluo grow uioro
young,
For In our winter ire tnlk most of spring;
Anil ns wo near, slow tottering, Uod's safe fold,
Youth's loved ones wither nearer though
among
Tlio seeming dead, youth's rours more clear
they rIiir.
JInurico Francis n;aii In Tho Centui7.
A 1ANTIIKK JIUiXT.
There Is still an occasional panther seen,
"hut more frequently heard without bclntj
seen, prowling about the lumber camps
of the Susquehanna basin, and making its
presence apparent by raids on sheep and
even rattle anion:; the sparsely buttled
lann localities of Sullivan and adjacent
-counties. Tho advance of civilization has
not been bo rapid among these dense pine
aind hemlock wildernesses to have alone
-caused the panther to abandon its haunts
in those forests, for there are still Innc
ccsslblo jungles tmtl wild, rocky retreats,
well loved by this boldest and fiercest
of the great cat family, where it might
liido itself with almost, If not quite ns much
security as It did in earlier years; but
civilization was aided by a hand of invet
erate and cunning woodsmen who passed
their lives almost solely in carrying on an
offensive warfare against the panther, fol
lowing it even to Its remotest and most
ilaogoriitis haunts, and engaging it there
Jfearlossly, and with tactics which they
liad reduced to nn exact science. It was
tho perpetual and unrelenting crusade of
this baud of woodsmen that gradually re
flticeil tho once numerous race of panthers
J n these woods to a condition of almost
-absolute extinction, so that today, with
'conditions favorable not only to Its exlsl
'tince, but to its increase, it is only at rare
Intervals that the blood curdling cry of
this once monarch of the, woods is heard
iimong Its old haunts, and, rarer still,
that the dreaded possessor of tho voice is
:seen.
Capt. llrown was probably tho most
'famous ot the old time panther slayers.
Jle, was an early settler at. the Forks of
the, loyalsoek creek, near what is now
the mountain village of Forksvllle, Sitlll--vau
county, where lie put up a cabin and
sjnmt his time in hunting. He was the
panther scourge of a wide region, and his
eabin was the llrst placu that was visited
liy the scl tiers thereabouts when a panther
3)iid bereft some one of them of a much
treasured sheep or cow, tho visit being
to beg Capt. Hrown to como and rid
their particular locality of tho innniiid
Ing beast. Among the hundreds of tales
I daring and persistence manifested by
the great pioneer hunter one is recounted
with especial pride by descendants of his.
Among the llrst to seek the then un
"knoun and unbroken region about, the
forks of the LuynNnck was a settler
named Samuel lingers. One morning
Jtogers appeared in great trepidation at
Oipt. Hrown's cabin, Just as that hunter
was riggh'.g himself up for a day's
tramp among tho panther haunts,
lingers said that a big panther had
"broken into Ills sheepfold the night he
tore and had carried oil' his most highly
prized ram. lingers was a good panther
.hunter himself, but he implored llrown
to accompany him In the chase. It was
one of Hrown's eccentricities that he
'.never limited in company with anybody,
nnd ho refused to go with lingers. Hut
lie said:
"Now, you go home, lingers, and keep
cool 1 won't l'ii with you after that big
panther, but I'll go out myself and kill it
.for you, and hope I'll have a chance to
4tet It's mate, too."
That was satisfactory to Hogers, and
U;ipt. Hrown took his .un and went at
once to the woods on the Hats at the forks
of the creek.
It was lale In tho fall, and there was a
light snow on the ground. At the edge
if the creek ho Htruek tho fresh track of
41 panther in the snow. From the un
usual nlze of tho footprints and drops of
"blood here and there along tho trail, the
"blood having come from some animal the
pnntlu.'r had secured and was carrying
aiway, llrown knew ho had located the
ulg sheep stonier that had been in Settlor
jUogors' fold.
It is tho habit of panthers, like all of
the oat family, to bury what Is left, from
feast, to be exhumed and eaten on
omo liiture occasion. Hrowu knew that
by following the trail, If he did it over
take, tho panther Itself, lie would come to
thn wpot where it had buried the remains
of tho sheep, and that by waiting near
tliut spot he would be sure to get a
nhot not only at the one panther, hut
more than likely at Its mate, which
tho former would fetch along to
to join in devouring tho mutton. The
3iniiler followed the trail for t long dis
tance, and dually, on the edgenif a dense
.lanivl thicket, found where tho panther
had burled the sheep. Heforo preparing
liimsolf to hide for the coming of his game
.he Instinctively glanced up among the
lops of the tall trees bordering the
Kwainp, and discovered the panther, his
lingo length stretched along a limb near
tho top of one of tho trees, and Ids eyes
Used on tho hunter below. Hrowu raised
hi rllle to lire, but tho agilo animal
sprang to another live top, and no swift
"were his movements that he escaped front 1
tho sight of the hunter, who could only I
follow the hue of the great beast's retreat I
ly the Hwn)lng of tho tree tops as tho
panther leaped from one to another. Tho I
co u 1X5 the panther took was toward j
Doubling Hun, and Hrowu made his way i
iw rapidly us ho could through tho Inter-
Telling thicket, and when he reached tho i
xua ho found thai tho panther had como ,
down from the trees, and had taken n I
-course through the snow toward 1-owls
lake, now tho mountain summer resort of
Jingle's Mere.
The tireless hunter followed tho trail
through tho dense forest, and it led hlin
wtralght- to tho hike, a distance of live
miles, and around the southern shoro for
two miles more, when Hrown discovered
lib game drinking from tho lake. Tho
present Bite of the Eagle's Merobtouinbont
landing is pointed out as the Hot where
thts great juinthel'ht(Knlalid received Capt.
Jlrown's llrst bullet. Tho shot did not
disable tho panther, and it sprang Into
tho laurels and ugiiiu d I sap lira red, leaving
tlichoejiof Its yells reverberating iiIkiiiI
tho rocky shores of tlm lake. Tho course
of tho pant her lay toward tho outlet of
tho lake, ami Capt. Hrown followed
tlirouuli tho dense growth of laurels.
"When lie anno to tho outlet ho discovered
tho panther half burled in tho soft mud at !
the edge ui the water, it was treating
'the wound It had received, as Is the in
jttlnctof wild animals of its kind. Tho
hunter did not wait for the panther to
nJoy the benefit ot the healing mud, but
sent another bullet after his first. Again
the tenacious beast sprang Into the thicket,
but Capt. Hrown V quick eye saw that his
last shot had been an effective one, and
he still followed the trail, now marked by
blood. From tho direction the wounded
animal took the skilled woodsman knew
that It was making for the rocky recesses
fur. her down the course of the outlet, at
a spot now famous as the Rainbow falls.
There the creek Hows through a deep
ravine, and the races of the rocks are cut
and seamed by fissures and deep ravines.
Tho hunter, now sure of his trophy,
followed more leisurely than he had, and
when he came to the head or top of the
falls, where a perpendicular rock towers
nearly fifty feet above the stream, at its
baso being a roomy but dark cavern, ho
saw the enormous body of the panther
stretched on the ground at the mouth of
the cave. Hrown clambered along tho
rocks which hugged the water so closely
that passage was difllcult anil dangerous,
and at last readied the Hat rock which
covers a space of several feet between the
cave and the water's (dge. The ways of
panthers were well known to the hunter,
as he had learned them by rougli experi
ence; but he was so certain that tills great
beast that lay stretched at the mouth of
Its den had died in its effort to reach that
retreat that he laid down his gun, and
taking his knife from Its sheath advanced
nprn tho prostrate beast to claim tho mag
nlllcent skin as his reward for tho long
chase, lie readied the side of the panther,
and was about to bend down and com
mence Htrlpping it of Its skin, when the
great beast sprang to its feet as quick as
lightning, and with a yell that almost
deafened the surprised hunter, threw
itself iinon him. The force of the
shock threw Hrown several feet
away, off of the rock. It was not
only a blow that the panther gave him,
hut as the infuriated animal struck it
buried its long claws In the hunter's thick
buckskin shirt and ripped It from him
from neck to waist. Hrowu still retained
his knife in his grasp and struggled to
quickly regain his feet. He rose to his
knees, and as ho did so the crouching pan
ther leaped toward him. Quick as a Hash
tlio wary hunter threw himself on his
back on the ground. Hut for that the
panther, Hying through the air with won
derful velocity, would have struck him
and carried him along in the flight. As it
was, tho panther passed over hiiiii
Kapldly as the panther's leap carried it
through tho air, Hrown's eyo and hand
were quicker still. Tho hunter's keen,
long hlailed knife, thrust upward as the
huge body of tho panther was passing
over him as he lay, was plunged almost
to the hilt in the animal. Tliu thrust was
between the fore legs, but tho knife was
not withdrawn, and Its keen edge, buried
in the panther's flesh, passed the entire
length of the great animal's body, and
tho panther fell dead and disemboweled
ilftcen feet beyond the spot where Hrown
lay covered with blood that had poured
upon him from the frightful wounds of
his now vanquished foe.
The hunter Jumped to his feet, and was
eyeing with grim satisfaction the com
pleteness, of his work, when a cry, of
which he at once knew t lie signillcance,
echoed among the rocks. Ho sprang to
where his gnu lay, and, seizing it, looked
in the direction of the cry. There, crouch
ing on the summit of Cavern Hock, her
eyes glaring and her long tail swaying In
that deliberate, snake like movement that
denotes the fury of the cat and its kind,
was the male of the great panther that
had Just met his death. The mate plainly
comprehended the situation, and did not
tarry in her cllorts for vengeance. With
a frightful yell she launched herself from
tho rocky peak In a furious leap for tho
hunter, who stood near the water's edge.
His bullet met the vengeful panther In
midair and passed through her heart.
The Impetus of her leap carried her to the
spot where she had intended to fall upon
the hunter and bury her fangs in his
throat, but she fell dead at tho water's
edge, where her enemy had tit owl.
Hrown skinned the two panthers and
started back for his cabin. Tho course
he took led him to the spot where the big
panther had burled Samuel liodgers'
sheep that morning. As lie iieared it lie
heard the growling and snarling made by
panthers Willie devouring their food. Ho
approached cautiously, and peeied through
tho bushes. A male and female panther
were busily engaged in making a meal oil
t ho sheep. Hrown shot one of the pan
thers dead as It ate. Its mate sprang Into
the very tree in which tho-hunter had (lis.
covered the big one earlier in tho day. It
paused on a brunch and looked hack at
its dead male. As it gazed Hrown re
loaded his rllle. The panther in the tree
presented a favorable mark. Hrown fired,
and the panther fell from limb to limb,
clutching at each in Us death struggles,
and at last tumbled to the ground and,
died. New York Sun.
How It (lot Out.
When the nominations of Hobertson
and Hurt to succeed Arthur and Cornell
as collector of customs and naval ollleerat
the port of Now York were pending in tho
senate there was a great deal of excite
ment, and every newspaper correspondent
In Washington was anxious to get tho
exact vote by which the nominations were
rejected. A certain correspondent, mak
ing up an "aye and no list" of his own
by guess work, took It to the room of a
very distinguished senator, and, laying it
before him, asked how nearly correct it
was. Tho senator looked over tho list and
said:
"You have made a great many mis
takes. I took the vote on a tally sheet
myself, which I have somewhere here in
my pocket, but of course I cannot glvo it
to you."
Taking the slip from ids pocket ho com
pared tho two carefully. Thou he put the
bogus list in his pocket and, as If by mis
take, handed tho correspondent his own
correct one. The next morning at least
ouo paper published an accurate roll call,
showing how each senator voted; and tho
senator, of course, was not to bo blamed
for letting the information jt out,
Chicago Times.
An ltiilei'pi'UIni; l'ediller.
There Is another genius In the peddling
lino among down town olllces: This
smooth faced peddler will one day olTor a
lino of toilet soaps ind perfumery, The
following day he olTers publications and
stationery. At another tlmo ho may bo
seen with an assortment of rat traps,
whisk brooms and miscellaneous hard
ware. Clothing Is another lino of tradu
in this man's list. New York Tribune.
A I.lkely Tollim' fill.-.
'Ht.w'H Jim Hullanl gettln' our in
quired a p.'usxonger, poking his head out
of a car window as the train stopped at a
small btatlou In Nebraska. "Jim wan n
likely feller, an. 1 told him when ho
Ktarted west that ho was hound to rise,
lie was always way up Imok east."
"Same here, btninger," replied u oltl
ma, "Jim was hanged lust week for
stcalln' ho." l'hillp 11. Wflch In The
Lpocu. ,
THE CATTLE INDUSTRY.
PAST AND PRESENT METHODS OF
THE IRREPRESSIBLE COWBOY.
"Trxun Run" imhI "UoiiiiiI Up" Sttvr
IlrliiK Kiijildly N:irro-il lluviii Into
IIitniH Itcf'iilli-ctlons oT Hie (inoil Old
Time l,ii . of a Hunt Winter.
The progress and success of the cattle
industry in the west has been marvelous
For many years the business was con
i ducted almost, entirely by Individuals,
i and so v Idened and prospered that in a
j few years tliu cattle kings were almost
I as numerous and opulent us the famous
"bonanza kings." They had a personal
I supervision over their range and stock,
and as the circle of their dominion
I broadened the "round up" and the line
I riders found here and there fields of
J all the game animals wnlch in former
times swarmed over the country. Indian
tradition told them that away back in the
forties a certain winter had left no living
creature for spring to make giad with her
balmy air and green grass. So the Idea
was born to them that It would be well to
take in partners while the business was
yet in its glory. So friends in the east
were written to concerning tho profits and
small costs of cattle raising. Individuals
purchased half, third or fourth interests
in the ranges or herds, as tho case might
be, and then came about the formation of
syndicates and companies. For several
years the increase was simply immense,
and tho trail from Texas became one con
tinuous stream of animal life, emptying
itself upon tlio plains of Wyoming,
Montana and Dakota. i
Tho profits were large. F.ach succes
sive "beef round up" brought to the east
ern market thousands of head of cattle,
comparing favorably with the "pampered
corn fed" stock of Nebraska and Illinois.
Newspaper writers set forth the business
in the most glowing colors; magazines
gave facts and ligures with elaborate care;
money flowed In from the great commer
cial centers; new companies were formed
every day, and tlio festive cowboy grew
apace and flourished his six shooter with
impunity, while his employers sat by their
warm fires in ease. Did not the cowboys
look after their interests on the stormy
rangef So they must not bo curbed, even
it they did sometimes make tilings lively
In theso little western towns. In those
days the owners of small herds had no
rights these reckless fellows were bound
to respect. A regularly recorded brand
was the only thing that insured anything
like safety to the Hocks. Indeed, it was
no unusual thing to see during the spring
round up a half dozen men, mounted on
bronchos, rido up ton farmer's gate, open
it and gallop pell moll across the pasture
mid "round up" his whole herd of tame
cows. If there was any doubt in their
minds about the brand on a creature the
lassoes were taken lro'ii their places on
the saddle, there were a few dextrous flings
of the rope In tho air and then the animal
was si retched upon the ground. Maybe
it, was the children's pet heifer, but for
fear of hurting her the hot iron in the
timid hand had pressed too lightly, and
and ,'iere was no mark on the hide. So
she was a "maverick," and regardless of
threats and persuasions, she was driven
away to starve to death the next winter
on a bare range.
Hut the day of retribution was coming.
The spring of 1S8(J opened up clear and
bright, with but little rain to call forth
tint grass from the whole earth. During
the whole .summer there was a terrible
drought, and the hot winds swept over
the parched plains, shriveling up and kill
ing all sorts of vegetation. Tho grass
was as dry and brown in June as If tho
frosts of autumn had already come and
locked up a goodly supply of nourishment
in the dead looking blades for hungry cat
tle during tlu long winter mouths. Hut
tho old frontier men knew that there
were too many cattle on the range, and
that, even if the grass was good enough
to keep them during tlio summer and fall,
a great many must die in the cold storms
ot winter, in September ami October
there was a larger drive from the south
than ever before. Cold weather set In
early in November, and continued until
fiOO.OOl) cattle had perished from starva
tion. In every little gulch might have
been seen cattle staggering from weak
ness as they vainly tried to nibble tho
short grass to prolong their tortured ex
istence a few hours longer. Hut at last
they lay down in tho snow, and soon the
stupor came on which took their value
from the cattlemen's pockets.
Now, however, the order of things has
changed, and it is the man of small herds
who has the advantage. It is acknowl
edged by men who ought to know that in
tlio future the only way to raise cattle
successfully will bo to feed and shelter
llieni well lu winter, and either close herd
or past mo them during tho warm seasons.
The ranges are fast becoming settled by
iiidusfilous men, and (lie land which a
few years since formed part of valuable
ranges now produces good crops of wheat,
oats and corn.
In regard to this, a cattle man well
known throughout the west said to your
correspondent a few days since: "The day
of tho 'round up' is practically over; from
this time on we will either have to watch
our eattlo or lose 'out."
Another prominent member of the stock
association said: "Yes, it will not he many
years before large herds will bo a thing of
the past, line or two years will put uu
cud to the round up. and the business will
bo In the hands of local men."
On being told that your correspondent
had questioned ouo man about the loss
last winter, he laughed and voluntarily
said; "Well, I don't know that 1 blame
any ono Interested in the matter for not
wanting to talk about it, but there is no
use In trying to keep it secret any longer.
Seventy-live Hr cent, of all tho eattlo Is
somewhere near It, though HO may be
nearer. Ouo linn uiado a drive of !2(,000
In the fall, and in the sprini found a
scarce l,r00; another ot 5. OUO uuni
boml but oOU after the 'round up,'
Tlio greatest loss was in cows that had
been, or were, sucking calves. The calf
'round up' was very small, because the
cows wore nearly all dead. No, it
wouldn't do any good to provide a little
shelter for them. It a creature once gets
into an old shuck during a storm it will
stay there until tho elements are at jvace
or it starves to death. Anyway, cattle
are strange annuals. Where a horse will
paw away two feot of snow, and when
chilly, take a little run by way of exercise,
a cow will get discouraged and stay in
tho place without food or water until she
dliw. Sun Dance (Wy. T.) Cor. Chicago
Times.
ITtllUIni; ik Wiitrh Doer,
An inhabitant ot China, Mc, has boon
utilizing his valuable Newfoundland
watch dog by carding and sniunlug his
ileoeo. It made four skeins of jet black
yarn, weighing two ikiuikU nnd a quar
ter, ami spun as easily and well as sheep's
wool. Hoaton Hudget.
THE BLOOMER" COSTUME. .
Kirn. Itloonier pprfnrrn Hint Mip I Not
tlm Inventor of It tin l!ltory.
"I have tried often to correct that Im
pression," said Mrs. D. C. Ulooiner rc-
i cently to a reporter.1 "I did not invent
1 the 'Hlooincr' costume, nor was I the llrst
! one to wear It. I am quite willing that
tho correction should be made, for I do
not wish to be remembered only as the
woman who invented a new stylo of
dress.
"I did not even name It. Mrs. Eliza
beth Miller, a daughter of Gerritt Smith,
was the first lady who wore it. She came
dressed in one of those costumes from
! l'cterboro, N. ., to Seneca Falls, where
! I was living, and where Mrs. Elizabeth
; Cady Stanton lived. Where Mrs. -Miller
I got the idea I do not know, but she is en
titled to what credit there is for putting
the dress Into circulation, as It were, and
It should be named for her if for anybody,
i It's hardly fair to Mrs. Miller to take tlio
credit from her. A few days after Mrs.
Miller's appearance in short skirt and
I trousers, Mrs. Stanton had a similar cos
I tunio made, and she wore it. Then I
adopted the style. Mrs. Stanton did not
I wear hers a great while possibly not
! more than two years; but I wore mine as
long as the public talked about it and me.
, I did not name the dress. The press did
j that. I wore the costume for six years
i for two years in Council Hind's and, if I
! had not retired to private life might ho
j wearing it yet. It is a very comfortable
and sensible dress.
"Some time, possibly a month, before
Mrs. Miller made her appearance in
Seneca Falls in the costume, a writer,
whose Identity I never did discover, advo
cated in the columns of one of the papers
of Seneca Falls a reform in woman's
dress. 1 wnseilitinga paper there at that
time and took up the suggestion in a Hip
pant way, and treated the subject rather
playfully and facetiously. The unknown
writer of tho other paper answered me,
and I answered again. So when Mrs.
Miller canto in the short skirt and trousers,
and after Mrs. Stanton and myself hail
adopted the garb, the papers of the coun
try round about tried to make fun of us,
and called us 'Hlootnerites' and 'Hlooni
ers.' and soon. Hence the name, I sup
pose. Lucy Stone wore the dress for a
while, but gave it, up because she thought
it attracted attention away from the sub
jects temperance and woman's rights
upon which she was lecturing. I wore
my costume and lectured in It in all my
tour of the cities of tlio north and west,
and I was tho llrst to make such a lectur
ing tour in those cities. I was the first
woman who wore tliu costume in public
in Chicago.
"Of course, wherever I went the dress
attracted a great deal of attention. It
was a curiosity, and a great many people
came to tho lectures as much to see it as
to hear what a woman had to say.
Women lecturers were quite a curiosity,
too, in those days. 1 used to notice that
after I had lluishcd my talk, whether on
women's rights or on temperance, a great
many people, women especially, would
remain and come upon the platform, os
tensibly to see me, but really to inspeut
tlio dress."
Mrs. Hloomer showed the reporter n cut
representing herself in her younger days,
attired in one of her noted costumes. A
short skirt reaching to the knees, baggy.
very baggy trousers gathered and frilled
at the ankle; a straight brimmed sailor
hat, set well back upon the head, made
up the attire from a masculine point of
view. Female observation might have
disclosed that the skirt, and waist were of
one piece, and that the sleeves of the waist
were full and slashed, and gathered and
frilled at the wrists. Closescriitiny and a
reversal of the picture might possibly have
led to the discoxery that a bustle was not
part of the attire. This point, however,
can be left to those ladies who have been
accustomed to calistlienic exercises and
surf bathing. Omaha Herald.
Sale of I'ltteiit MtMllrines.
Proprietary medicines spring up by the
dozen every day, but you seldom hear of
any outside those manufactured in your
own section of the country. Every prepar
ation is born under a lucky or unlucky
star, ns they seem to succeed or perish
regardless of tho energy or money pos
sessed by tho men who are interested in
pushing their sale. None succeed without
advertising, although millions have been
spent in pulling medicines that never sold
tlio original stock shipped to wholesale
druggists. It is a game of chance where
you cannot estimate the risk. Kesults
cut very little figure with the salesmen,
for if the stutr will sell it will go oir their
hands with scarcely an effort, because
their best customers are the chronic in
valids, who are thicker than flies around
a molasses cake.
Nevertheless, I would prefer to take a
new medicine out on the road than handle
any of the old ones which have been ad
vertised from theclilfs of the I'aci ic coast
to tlio rocky banks of Labrador. Ameri
cans nro oxperinientullvo, and will buy a
new nostrum without any recommenda
tion, for the simple reason that they have
heard nothing against it. St. Louis leads
the country m sales of quinine, malarial
specific and bilious antidotes, and some of
the local manufacturers will clear millions
from two articles that originated here
within tlio last two years, but which aro
already beginning to elicit notice. George
Haskell.
Results nf OwtrtriilnliiKt
There is ono aspect of the Sullivan
Mitchell light, which is so far devoid of
brutality as to be of public interest; tills
is, that a man seemingly in superb physi
cal condition may, in reality, be so far
overtrained, as it is termed, as to have
been deprived of his staying powers.
Nature supplies to us certain quantities
of adlposo tissue, which may seem to tlio
critical eyo of one who looks only at the
outside to be an incumbrance, which
should be reduced by careful training;
hut it may turn out that in thus bringing
the human organism down to a mass of
bone and muscle the trainer will deprive
tho body of the food that it needs to make
good the waste of physical energy. A
man thus prepared may be well tltted for
n spurt, but entirely unable to keep up
under long continued physical exertion.
Huston Herald.
Children' t?liilcr:uririiti.
For undergarments, tho best houses
show a little woolen knitted petti
coat, which lms a waist like a corset
cover, and this buttons closely around tho
body, and is being knitted very elastic
and warm. Those w ho do not care for
the petticoat can llnd little knitted
chemise, which aro long and double
thickness oxer the stomach and alMlomen,
and every child hould wear those at all
seasons ot the year. Elastic suspenders
for the stookiuir whould aUo he worn in
stead of fastening them by any other
means. Shoes for small children have no
heels, though they have what they call
spring heels, which do no injury to the
Under bouos and muscles. Olive Ilnrpor.
STUXG BY A SCOKPiON.
HOW THE DEADLY INSECT MAKES
ITS WAY NORTHWARD.
A cnrrl IliirUry In a Now York I'rult
Store Tliu Old DrncKlnt's ItcniiMly Hie
"Mule Killer's" llricrl jit Ion or t lie. scor
pion I'liiully.
A reporter was hurrying down Barclay
street a few days ago, eonsciotu that he
had but a few minutes in which to catch
the Hoboken ferryboat, when he suddenly
stopped at a dark opening, which led into
a still darker basement. Hunches of ba
nanas hung to the lintel and were fes
tooned up the jambs of the doorway,
while bursting crates of golden oranges
were piled on the downward leading steps.
It was an agonizing yell, which seemed
to hint of mii.derand sudden ue.Hh, as ft
burst from the recesses of this dingy look
ing cavern that had arrested his steps,
lie had not long to wait for an explana
Hon. L'p the steps, at the risk of overturn
ing the piled up boxes of fruit which ob
structed the passage, bounded a coal black
negro, whose eyes were bulging out of his
head with mingled fright and pain, ami
ns he ran he vigorouslj shook one of his
immense hands, which the reporter could
see was growing every instant still larger.
"Fo' de lawd," he blubbered, "1'se a
dead niggali, suah. 1'se stung by a rat
tler, I is." To a dabbler in natural his
tory tho opportunity was not to be missed,
even at the expense of losing half a dozen
Hoboken ferry boats, and Uie reporter
followed the negro as he bolted into a
drugstore nearby. He found the man
exhibiting Ids wounded paw to nn un
sympathetic druggist, who seemed, how
ever, to know exactly what to do under
the circumstances, while the patient kept
up a running commentary of ejaculations
bearing on the agony he was suffering.
"Hit's a ter'ble bite, suah. Hit aches me
'way up to dat ar' shoulder. Haider's
bite's poison, aint's it, salif" "That's no
rattler." snorted the druggist. "Came
out of a bunch of bananas, you say? Well,
1 guess it was a scorpion."
"No sail, hit came from among deni
or'nge boxes."
"Then it must have been a spider or a
mule killer," said the druggist.
Hy this time he had prepared a doe
which he gave the terrilled darkey to
swallow, and then, with a strong smelling
lotion, he bathed the alllictcd member.
At this point the reporter took a hand in
the conversation. "Is tlmt whisky you
gave li I nt to drink?" he asked.
"No, young man." said the old drug
gist. "It's ammonia, and worth a quart
of iw'iiskv in the case of a spider or scor
pion bile."
"Then a mule killer is a scorpion?"
"No, sir, it, is not a scorpion."
"Ah, then" witli brilliant ratiocina
tion "it's a spider."
"Wrong again," said the druggist. "It
isn't a spider."'
"Then what on earth is it?"
"It's just between the two," said the
druggist, and the darky having subsided
into a condition of mute despair, varied
by an occasional moan of lingering agony,
and the store being otherwise deserted,
the druggist, became quite conversational.
He was an old man witli dean shaven
face, straggling gray hair ami keen eyes,
which peered at one over the tops of his
old fashioned spectacles. This was by no
means the llrst ca-e of a poisonous bile lie
had treated, he said, since ho had settled
in the neighborhood. All around him
were tho establishments of dealers in all
sorts of tropical fruits, and hidden in
bunches of bananas, under heaps of coco'i
nuts or in crates of fruit, were often to
be found scorpions and spiders of all sorts
and sizes. Occasionally the men handling
the fruit get bitten, but more often the
insects are in a semi-torpid state and are
killed before they get a chance to do any
damage.
"Many years ago," continued the drug
gist, "I was a member of a surveying
party, for, among other professions I have
followed, Is that of a surveyor, and found
myself helping to lay out one of the tirst
railroads ever run through Florida. We
were at work during the cold season,
when one evening, after a hard day's
work, I rode into camp on my mule, and,
picking up a blanket which was lying
across a log, I buckled it around my
beast's body to prevent it catching cold.
Hardly had I done so when the mule be
gan to indulge in a gymnastic perform
iince which would have put even an army
limle to the blush. I paid no attention at
llrst beyond passing a few objugatory re
marks, but finally, as he kept up
his kicking and plunging. I determined
to take oil' the blanket ami see if a branch
of thorny inunora might not have got en
tangled in it and account for his restless
ness. Instead of a thorn I found a brown
creature about three indies long hanging
on for dear life to the mule's back. One
of tho men who know the country rather
better than I said it was a mule killer,
and sure enough, inside of two hours Mr.
Mulo was as dead as the proverbial her
rinf . As we sat round the camp lire that
night many were the stories told of the
havoc wrought by this insignificant look
ing pest. Not only mules but valuable
horses have fallen victims by tho score to
tills insect, which is variously known as
the scrunciier, devil's bull driver and whip
scorpion."
Tho scientille description of the scor
pion family states that they have an
elongated body, which, like that of all
members of that family, is divided into
segments, the last six of which, in the
case of the scorpion, are of equal size.
The tail is flexible and ends in a sting.
Tho chelieorn, or fangs, are short, and
end in a pineer like appendage, while the
palpi, or jaw appendages, are long and
also end in a forceps. Respiration is ef
fected by means of two pairs of pulmo
nary sacks, which communicate with tlio
air through four openings. A curious
thing to bo noticed about the whip
scorpion is that the poisonous fangs
above referred to take the plt.ee of the
harmless feelers or aiitenniu of beetles,
butterflies, moths and most of tho Crus
tacea, such as lobsters and shrimps. A
cognato change is remarked in spiders, lu
whom tho anteuiim are replaced by poison
ous jaws. The anterior pair of the legs of
the whip scorpion are also peculiar. They
are much thinner than the others, and the
feet are many jointed, so ns to Imj capable
of being used as llcxihlc organs of touch,
so that this ugly looking boast has turned
his feelers into mLsoiious jaws and his legs
into feelers The whip consists of tli
thin, vicious looking tall, which can bo
lashed around like a rawhide lu the hands
of an angry man. Now York Mall and
Express.
Messrs. Fremy and Verneuil, of Paris,
chemists, have informed the Academy of
Sciences that they have succeeded in pro
ducing real rubles by artificial means.
The tests show that this is a faot. The
biggest yet made is the sizo ot a big pin
head, but size is a matter that can bo reg
ulated. Now York Sun.
Traps for HonK Ascnt.
"You seldom see nn advertisement for h
book agent in these days," remarked a
veteran canvasser, "but that doesn't sig
nify that the much abused man is no
longer seen abroad in the land. There is
n certain stigma attached to the business,
and a man Is deterred from becoming a
book agent for the same reason that
prompts a woman to do anything rather
than go out to service. The houses thnt
deal in subscription books nro well awaro
of this feeling, and unscrupulous publish
ers resort to the most ingenious plans to
word their advertisements so ns to con
ceal the real nature of their business.
If thev made a direct call for book agents
thev would receive very few applicants,
but" bv couching their advertisements in
ambiguous and alluring language they
nre sure to get the pick of the unemployed
men and women. Their main object Is to
get the people to call, for it is then easy
enough to induce the most likely to try
their luck bv holding out flattering prom
ises. The scheme most usually employed
is to advertise for collectors at a fixed sal
ary. When a man calls and proves satis
factory he is told that he can have tho job
as sooii as it is ready, being made to be
lieve tlmt he Is to have a new route as
soon as the canvassers have drummed up
enough subscribers.
"In the meantime tho man is advised to
do a little canvassing himself. He will bo
able to make living wages and familiarize
himself with the business. Tlio man Is,
of course, a little disappointed, but at last
consents to become a book agent for the
time being in anticipation of getting a
place as collector at a fixed salary. An
iron bound contract Is then drawn up.
for the sake of formality, ho is told,
by which he agrees to sell the book on
commission. He is then required to de
posit $10 ns security for the dummy copy
he is to carry with him. Time passes,
and the route on which ho was to serve as
collector is as far from completed as ever.
He has found that canvassing is hard
work and doesn't pay his board. Ho gets
discouraged, turns in his dummy copy
nnd demands the return of the deposit he
paid on it. The firm refuses to return tho
money, and point to the clause in tho
agreement that refers to breach of con
tract. The firm has the law on its
side, nnd the man has no redress. Tho
cost of nianiifac'airiiig these dummy
copies is not one-tenth of the security de
manded, and many firms pay their run
ning expenses with the money received as
deposits." New York Evening Sun.
In Havana's l'aihi Houses.
The cafes of Havana are ns bright ana
winsome as those of Paris, but aro more
attractive at all seasons of the year, for
the cliniato allows of a greater openness
to the street. This is taken advantage of
in all little ways of decoration and ar
rangement that stand for invitation and
welcome. Some of them aro very grand
affairs, but all possess an atmosphcro of
snugness and daintiness that is delicious.
Indeed, it must be set down to tho credit
of nil these people that tho delicate rcllno
nients of life are inherent. Courtesy," po
liteness, consideration, or at least the sur
face use of it, are universal. They nro an
artistic people in the environment of little
things, though themselves unconscious of
that national characteristic; and both
facts are delightful to one who tarries
with them.
These cafes nnd fondas (or eating
houses, for the latter nre equally resorted
to) are the resting places of the gay city.
Their number nnd patronage nro remark
able. They are all wide open to tho
street the year round. One fancies they
are almost n part of it, as frequently more
than one-half tho cafe is underneath long,
wide, huge pillared porticos. Hero chat
tering crowds by day and brilliant crowds
by night, under the flare of lamps iiu:rcat
century old metal frames, never weaso
cigarette smoking, gin nnd wine drinking,
although all liquors, however frequently
ordered, are used in sparing quantities.
And between the shrill cry of the dulceros,
or confection peddlers, the hoarse impor
tunities of the lottery ticket mobs, the
ever minor music of tlio wandering street
minstrels and the niarvdously gay but
never brutal nnd more than half Oriental
city life, the "dick, click, click" of the
universal and never silent dominoes upon
the marble tables como to you ns an
undertone staccato of myriads of nusccn
castanets. Edgar L. AVakenian's Letter.
Orl-in or I lie Itllzzanl.
Where is its cradle, its home?
Tho Arctic regions. The, papers talk
nbout a blizzard having started from
Manitoba, but that is not its home it
starting point. Manitoba is only its has
way house.
Why do blizzards como by way ot
Manitoba, and make themselves most
felt upon the west side of tlio Mississippi
river? 'Why do we never hear of blizzaris
in Canada, New England and tho middle
states?
Hecause the Laurentian rango of moun
tains stretches westward from Iibrador
nlong the southern lino of Hritish Amer
ica 15,000 miles, skirting tho north shore
of Lake Superior, and tapering out in
northeastern Minnesota, furnishing a pro
tecting wall of solid rock -1,000 fcethih
against blizzards for all tho region south
of it. Geologists tell us that this range is
formed of the oldest silurian or sedimen
tary rock to he found upon tlio globe, and
that it extends ."0,000 feet below tho
surface.
From northeastern Minnesota to tho
Hocky mountains is nn open, treeless
plateau a great doorway 1,000 miles
wide through which the ice king rushen.
From that line southward is, in the main,
tho same treeless prairie all the way to
tho Gulf of Mexico, forming west of the
Mississippi river the royal toboggan slide.
U,000 miles long, upon which his ice
crowned majesty, the blizzard, sweeps in
all his jeweled robes to swoon In the
arms of tho tropical sun. Tho Texas
norther is only the frayed fringes ot tho
blizzard king's mantle as ho wliirls past.
C. M. Cady in New York Suu.
Tlio Sewers of l'urli.
The idea of keeping tho sowers clean
had not thoroughly penetrated tho minds
of the engineers early in tho century, and
in none of the smaller ones was it possible
to stand erect. Many were built too near
the surface, and it was sometimes neces
sary to climb a laddor to got into them.
In every case thc were of solid masonry.
Until quite lately the Paris sowers were
built entirely of cut stone or partly of cut
fatouo and jmrtly of a soft, excessively
jtorotis stone culled inoullere. It is in
tended in future to build entirely ot mmi
liure. Tho manner ot using it is this: A
great trench Is dug, in which a wooden'
frame is placed, the size and shape of tho
desired sewer. The moullero is placed
about this frame and a concrete mado of
the bos. cement Is applied in such a mau
nor as to 1111 solidly all the cavities ot the
stone nnd make a durable wall impervious
to moisture. The frame is removed and
tho trench filled up ns soon ns thoconcreto
is sufficiently hardened. Paris Cor. Sau
Francisco Chronicle.